Headlight for vehicles



July 2, 1935. E. MULLER HEADLIGHT FOR VEHICLES Filed Nov. 23, 1955 Patented July 2, 1935 PATENT OFFICE HEADLIGHT FOR VEHICLES Erich Miiller, Nuremberg, Germany, assignor to Siemens Schuckertwerke Aktiengesellschaft,

Berlin- Siemensstadt, of Germany Germany, a corporation Application November 23, 1933, Serial No. 699,355 In Germany November 21, 1932 6 Claims.

My invention relates to headlights for vehicles, and more particularly to anti-glare headlights, which may be changed-over from a dazzling light for remote illumination to a dimmed light for close range illumination by means of a switching operation.

More specifically stated my. invention relates to an anti-glare headlight provided'with a parabolic mirror having at least two sources of light arranged at different points of the mirror and capable of being alternately switched on.

An object of my invention consists in attaining dimmed light for close range without the aid of movable parts of the headlight-reflector. Another object ofmy invention consists in preventing in the case of dimmed light for close range also a glaring by rays reflected in the headlight, particularly by rays directedly upwardly at the sides.

A further object of my invention consists in producing dimmed light when travelling on curves.

My headlight-reflector has a parabolic mirror with an aperture angle of about I80 degrees and an incandescent lamp with spherical bulb which contains a filament for remote illumination and a filament for dimmed light at close-range, if desired, also a third filament for dimmed light when travelling on curves. The first filament for remote illumination lies in the focal point of the mirror, but according to the invention not in the center of the spherical bulb. The second filament for dimmed light at close range lies somewhat horizontally in the center of the spherical bulb, but in operation, 1. e., when the vehicle is in motion, above the optical axis of the mirror, the third filament lies in operation laterally to the second filament. By the use of well-known means, forinstance, by means of dimming devices or by partially covering the bulb or the like, the upwardly directed rays of the second and third filament are intercepted.

In the accompanying drawing headlight-reflectors embodying my invention are illustrated in diagrammatic form.

Fig. 1 shows in diagrammatic fashion a vertical sectional view of a reflector;

Figs. 2 and 3 show similarly diagrammatically vertical sectional views of two other embodiments;

Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically a front view of the reflector illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 shows a side view of the actual construction of the incandescent lamp of the reflector;

Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of the incandescent lamp taken on the line AB of Fig. 5;

' Fig. 7 shows a similar sectional view of an incandescent lamp with filament for light when travelling on curves; and

Fig. 8 shows a top view of the same incandescent lamp.

I denotes the mirror of the reflector having an aperture angle of about degrees. 2 is the incandescent lamp with a main filament 3 (Fig. 10 5) of any suitable type and a filament 4 for light at close range which is arranged horizontally above the filament, for remote range in such a manner that its axis passes through the center of the spherical bulb 5. The neck Ii of 15 the bulb is designed in the form of a cone, in order that the rays of light I proceeding from.

a the parabolic mirror I are not reflected on the mirror I, but are directed as indicated by rays 8.

Further, the filament support 9 of the lamp has 20 I a non-reflecting surface. The rays of light emanating directly from the filament 4 in the upward direction from the reflector are intercepted, so far as theymay strike an observer in front, by a foil I0 provided on itssurface or by 25 a corresponding blackening of the bulb.

The incandescent lamp 2, Fig. 1, is so arranged with respect to the mirror I that the filament 3 for remote range lies in the focus of the mirror, whereas the filament 4 for light at close range 30 is arranged above the optical axis of the reflector and preferably somewhat in front of the filament 3.

In front of the lower sixth portion of the mirror I, Fig. 1, a shutter I6 isarranged by'35 means of which the rays of light I3, I4, I5 emanating from the filamentv 4, and which are otherwise reflected and directed upwardly, are intercepted or directed downwardly as indicated at H. The other rays of light; for instance, 40 II and I2 proceeding from the filament 4 and reflected by the mirror I are directed in such a manner as to prevent dazzling.

In Fig. 2 the shutter is omitted and instead thereof the bulb of the incandescent lamp 2 is 46 blackened at I8 as shown in Fig. 4. The blackening extends over a portion of the surface of the bulb, obtained by projecting the lower sixth portion of the mirror on the filament 4.

In Fig. 3 the lower sixth portion ISof the 50 mirror I is shifted forwardly in the direction of the optical axis; in this manner the rays 20, 2| emanating from the filament 4 and reflected by the lower sixth portion I9 of the mirror are deflected in the same direction asthe rays 23 reflected by the other portions of the mirror.

In case a dimmed light, besides the dimmed light for close range, should be produced when travelling on {curves a further filament 45 is arranged as shown in Fig. 7 and 8 close to the filament I. The individual filaments may be switched in and out in the usual manner by a switch operated by the driver or by the steering gear.

My invention is neither limited to the use incandescent lamps nor to parabolic mirrors. Instead of the incandes ent lamps other light sources and instead of the parabolic mirror other optical systems maybe employed.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an anti-glare headlight for vehicles, in combination a parabolic mirror having an aperture angle of substantially 180, an incandescent lamp arranged within the mirror and having a substantially spherical bulb and an eccentrically disposed filament for remote illumination located in the mirror focus, and having further a filament for close range illumination located in the bulb center and above and ahead of the remote filament, means for screening the directly forwardly projected rays of the lighted close range filament and means for preventing the rays from said latter filament directed toward the lowermost 60 sector of the mirror from being reflected forwardly in the direction of the mirror axis.

2. In an anti-glare headlight for vehicles, in combination a parabolic mirror having an aperture angle of substantially 180", an incandescent lamp arranged within the mirror and having a substantially spherical bulb and an eccentrically disposed filament" for remote illumination located in the mirror focus, and having further a filament for close range illumination located in the bulb center and above and ahead of the remote filament, means for screening the directly forwardly projected rays of the lighted close range filament and means for downwardly deflecting the rays from said latter filament which strike the lowermost 60 sector of the mirror. i

3. In an anti-glare headlight for vehicles, in combination a parabolic mirror having an aperture angle of substantially 180, an incandescent lamp arranged within the mirror and having a substantially spherical bulb and an eccentrically disposed filament for remote illumination located in the mirror focus, and having further a filament for close range illumination located in the bulb center and above and ahead of the remote filament, means for screening the directly forwardly projected rays of the lighted close range filament and deflecting bars extending across'the lowermost 60 sector of the mirror for downwardly deflecting the rays from said latter filament, which strike said mirror sector.

4. In an anti-glare headlight for vehicles, in combination a parabolic mirror having an aperture angle of substantially 180, an incandescent lamp arranged within the mirror and having a substantially spherical bulb and an eccentrically disposed filament for remote illumination located in the mirror focus, and having further a filament for close range illumination located in the bulb center and above and ahead of the remote filament, means for screening the directly forwardlyprojected rays of the lighted close range filament anda screen on the bulb for intercepting the rays from said latter filament which are directed toward the lowermost 60 sector of the mirror. I

5. In an anti-glare headlight for vehicles, in

combination a parabolic mirror having an aperture angle of substantially 180", an incandescent lamp arranged within the mirror and having a substantially spherical bulb and an eccentrically disposed filament for remote illumination located in the mirror focus, and having further a filament for close range illumination located in the bulb center and above and ahead of the remote filament, means for screening the directly forwardly projected rays of the lighted close range filament and means for preventing the rays from said latter filament directed toward the lowermost 60 sector of the mirror from being reflected forwardly in the direction of the mirror axis, said lamp also having a filament arranged laterally of said close range filament for illuminating the road in rounding curves.

6. In an anti-glare headlight for vehicles, in combination a parabolic mirror having an aperture angle of substantially 180, an incandescent lamp arranged within the mirror and having a substantially'spherical bulb and an eccentrically disposed filament for remote illumination located in the mirror focus, and having further a filament for close range illumination located in the bulb center and above and ahead of the remote filament, means for screening the directly forwardly projected rays of the lighted close range filament and means for preventing the rays from said latter filament directed toward the lowermost 60 sector of the mirror from being reflected forwardly in the direction of the mirror axis, said lamp bulb having a cone-shaped neck to reflect rays, reflected by the central portion of the mirror onto the bulb, 

